perpetrari scelera and so to extenuate his sinne But for the ground of this necessity men have sought to opposite places some to heaven and some to hell The opinion is ancient that fetcheth it from heaven Adam was the author of it that layed his sinne to God The woman that thou gavest me she gave me of the Tree and J did eate And 〈◊〉 lesse ancient is that which fetcheth it from hell for the woman put it to the Devill The Serpent beguiled me 〈◊〉 J did eate Both opinions have had many Schollars To the first the sonne of Syrach speakes in his dayes Eccl. c. 15. ver 11. say me that it is through the Lord that I turne backe for thâ—â— oughtest not to doe the thing which he hateth say not that 〈◊〉 hath caused me to erre for he hath no need of sinfull man 〈◊〉 need of Psa 5.4 nay no delight in a sinfull man Thou art a Gâ—â— that hast no pleasure in iniquity And Abacuc his pure eye cannot behold the wicked yea they that with-draw themselves shall perish hee hateth all them that goe a whorâ—â—â— from him The Manichees they were Scholars to Eve and their tenent was as Saint Austine sets it downe Non tu peâ—cas gens tenebrarum peccat thou deservest no blame for sin for it is not thee but the Devill by thee that acts the sinne But Saint Austin addes well non est hoc tollere sâ—â— geminare peccatum this excuse is worse than the fault For as the same Father speakes well may the Serpert sollicit he cannot compell non extorquet 〈◊〉 nobis conseâ—sum sed petit he doth move us he doth not inforce us And Prosper Diabolus est illecebrarum adjutor non voluntatuâ— generator he allures us to sinfull delights he actuates not the will he recommends it but we may refuse it Be his meanes never so great to strengthen the tentation yet except we will he cannot defile us with corruption Our selves judge evill to be good we imbrace evill for good yea we prefer evill before good Our selves are the true cause of our own fall Therefore the H. Ghost bids us spart much unnecessary paines either of climing into heaven to know what God hath decreed of us or descending into hell to enquire how farre the devill may prevaile against us but stay at home and there find the right party that doth supplant us and that is our will Man as Solomon often speaketh perverteth his owne way Perditio tua ex te Every man when he is tempted is tempted â—â—d c. Wee fall because wee take no heed As if Saint Paul should say we should not fall if we did take heed Not fall I say though we should sinne For though all sinnes be in their owne nature falls And therefore Christ 〈◊〉 the Lords Prayer teacheth us to aske forgivenesse for â—â—em yet Saint Paul here meanes no ordinary but â—reat fals haynous and enormous sinnes Heresie Blasâ—hemy Profanenesse Adultery Treason Murder and the â—â—ke these by an eminence are called fals and if we did â—â—ke heed we might avoyd these fals Videat saith Saint â—aul let him see that he fall not Eccl. 2.14 A wise mans eyes are in â—is head but a foole walketh in darknesse Surely these Obâ—ects are proportionable to our sight though smaller sins â—re not they surprise us before we discerne them therefore God in Christ doth pity us because of our yet dim â—â—ight when we fall into them But God will not so excuse him that winkes when he may see as the Prophet speaketh or at least will not use his eyes to the uttermost that he may see The Serpents wisdome is much in his â—â—es and we should be wise as Serpents The devill ofâ—â—rs at one place and strikes at another therefore we must bee armed at all points The seed perished many wayes Wee must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome speaketh we must walke circumspectly The perspectives â—â—ch us that nothing is seene difficultly but that whereâ—â—on we fixe our eye directly The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let 〈◊〉 that standeth see c. He distinguisheth betweene â—naturall and a spirituall man him that is downe and â—â—m that is up A naturall man hath no eyes he cannot perceive the things of God But of a spirituall man he â—aith Wee are children of the day and light in the Lord therefore good reason that God should call to us for Vi 〈◊〉 that we walke as children of the day The same diâ—â—â—nction Christ maketh He that walketh in the day stumâ—â—â—th not because hee seeth the light of the world but if a â—â—n walke in the night he stumbleth because there is no light 〈◊〉 him The stander then must see But that we may a little more fully comprehend it and bee moved to it we must observe the distinction so usuall of Gratia operans and Cooperans for although in regard of the first grace which giveth us the being of standers or righteous men we are meerely passive yet in regard of the second wherin we doe manifest our selves to be standers wee are also active Now in this cooperative grace wherein we concurre with God it is a grounded truth That except the Lord build the house Psal 1â—7 1 they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord keepe the City the keeper watcheth in vaine And as Saint Peter We are preserved by the power of God who giveth his Angels charge over us that we dash not our feete against a stone And therefore as this Apostle tels the Ephesians We must be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might In the greatest stormes or conflicts Christum vehis must be our hope and Spes mihi magna subit cum te fortissime Christe Quae mihi respicio dum mea facta cadit The King putteth his trust in the Lord therefore shall he 〈◊〉 miscarry Although in standing the sinewes of our stability is the conquering power of Christ yet this poweâ— of his is arbitrary not necessary he workes but when and as much as he will and this will ordinarily inclines and proportioneth it selfe unto such duties as he requiretâ— of us and those are principally foure wherein stands the most that wee can doe and that which wee are bounâ— to doe In our Take heed first Christ will be acknowledged the chiefe Efficient of our standing without him wee câ—â— do nothing we cannot so much as thinke a good thoughâ— but all our sufficiency is of him Therefore if any mâ—â— want wisdome he must aske it of the Father of lights Christ will support but he will be prayed to The firâ—â— point of our heed is Prayer Watch and pray saith Christ that you enter not into temptation Christ did 〈◊〉 himselfe when hee conflicted with his most grievoâ—â— temptation If then we want strength and have it not it is because we aske it not S. Paul was better advised whobeing tempted prayed and prayed often Thrise he
shall find rest for your soules but they said We will not walke therein Also I set Watchmen over you which said Take heed to the sound of the Trumpet but they said We will not take heed At another time being recalled they answered desperately Jer. 18.12 Surely we will walke after our owne imaginations and doe every man after the stubbornnesse of his wicked heart The Word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord Jer. 44.16 we will not heare it of thee but we will doe whatsoever thing goeth out of our owne mouthes The Prophets every where challenge them for choosing their owne way following their owne counsell and fulfilling their owne lusts Such workes were their owne And if we will make their case ours we may easily judge which of our workes God will reckon for our owne even all those in doing whereof we wittingly and willingly withdraw our obedience from Gods Word and Spirit But before I leave this point the Texts opportunitie and some mens importunitie occasioning me I must more fully open the difference betwixt Gods workes and ours and remove that false imputation of humane invention that is layd upon many a publike one of ours We must then further observe that of our two Guides the Word and the Spirit the Spirit is not severed from the Word it is received by the Word and being received it inlightens us to understand and inables us to obey Gods Word That the Spirit is received by the Word the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 3◠calling the preaching of the Gospel the ministration of the Spirit and to the Galathians he writes that by the preaching of the Gospel Gal. 3.2 they received the Spirit Againe that being received it inlightens us to understand and inables us to obey the Word our Saviour Christ teacheth us who speaking of the comming of the Spirit saith Joh. 14.26 He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I have told you And againe He shall lead you into all Truth Ioh. 16.13 Ioh. 17.17 which Truth is Gods Word as he elsewhere expounds it In this sense must be understood the Spirits Vnction it anointeth us to understand the Word the Spirits obsignation it sealeth unto us an assurance of the Word the Spirits sanctification it purifieth us to obey the Word Saint Chrysostomes rule is true Siquis eorum qui dicuntur habere Spiritum Sanctum dicit aliquid de seipso non ex Euangeliis non creditur siquis dicta Christi sequitur Spiritum Sanctum habet c. This must be observed against old and new Enthusiasts who thinke they can see into the secrets of Heaven without the Looking-Glasse of Heaven That they can sound the Mind of Christ without hearing the Voice of Christ That they can conferre with the Spirit without the Language of the Spirit But we must resolve That no man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man is taught of God but by the Word of God I hope this place hath not any nor this Land many that have as yet received that evill Seed if it be rooted in any their case is to be pittied and those that are too forward by their fall must timely be admonished Our second Guide is Gods Word wherein many things are necessarily concluded which are not therein literally expressed In matters of Faith and Manners we are not tyed to the strictnesse of the Letter but the fullnesse of the Sense Our Saviour Christ is our Master in this course He proveth the Resurrection of the Dead Mat. 22.32 being an Article of our Faith against the Sadduces and the use of the Sabbath being a rule of life Mat. 12.7 against the Pharises by an inference made upon the Scripture not by any evidence of the Letter of the Scripture Christ is herein followed by the Apostles by Councels and Fathers Nazianzene hath comprehended the Doctrine in this rule Quaedam in Scripturis sunt dicuntur quaedam insunt etiamsi non dicantur and he addeth That the sticking to the Letter is oftentimes but a pretext of impietie And indeed this pretext is used by the Church of Rome who excludes that from the Scripture which is apparantly concluded within the sense of the Scripture in the Doctrine of the Trinitie the Sacraments and some other points of moment and having raysed this mist closely conveyes Articles of Faith and Rules of Life into the Doctrine of the Church not onely besides but contrary to the Scripture and yet in their late many and wordie Pamphlets would perswade men that our Doctrine is our owne and not Gods that theirs is not their owne but Gods Let the true Christian conferre the proofes and for his owne eternall comfort judge whether they deserve not the censure of Christ Math. 15.9 In vaine doe they worship me teaching the Doctrines of Men. Another worke there is which must bee examined because the World is therewith much perplexed I meane the Ceremonies and Discipline it must be inquired Whether the observance of them be a worke of Gods or ours And heere these three Rules are of all hands acknowledged First No Discipline or Ceremony must be contrary to the Word of God Secondly None must be equalled thereto Thirdly Both must edifie us therin These three Rules being observed I say First whatsoever thing is in its owne nature indifferent may by lawfull power be limited Secondly Being lawfully so enjoyned it must be obediently used Thirdly No Man with a good Conscience may forgoe his Vocation for this cause onely because he cannot be released from the use of such a thing The reason of all is plaine for the deniall of the first takes away the Magistrates lawfull power the deniall of the second argueth ignorance of Christian obedience and the third proveth that such mens credit is the measure of their care and they are more wedded to their fancy then truly zealous of Gods glory These poynts have beene largely amplified and Fatherly recommended but as yet the world will not be satisfied the Church cannot intreate so much of her Children as to be dutifully obeyed It is thought by too many a meete deliberation who should yeeld whether the Fathers which stand for that which is well grounded and lawfully authorized or the Children which stand against the Fathers of their Country and Fathers of the Church It were meete the foundations were razed before the buildings be ruined and the Reasons answered before the Church be altered But they have found at least a Simile to make good their cause The Church is like mans body Our Soveraignes new entrie may bee compared to the Spring Saint Pauls comparison is acknowledged and for our Spring the Lord be blessed But what then As mans body so the Church this Spring time must be purged An old Simile new furbished For indeed our Church evidences doe tell us of two such
addeth that for c Ephes 5.6 such things commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience 2 Anger in man is a passion and causeth alteration it is though a short yet a sharpe madnesse But Gods nature being without composition admits no mutation as d Exo. 3.14 Hee is that which hee is so with him there is e Iam. 1.17 no variablenesse nor shadow of change 3 Mans anger keepes no measure Saint James observeth it saying f Jam. 1.19.20 Bee slow to anger For the wrath of Man fulfilleth not the righteousnesse of God But the wise man speaking of Gods judgements saith That g Wisd 11.20 he orders them in number weight and measure And the same phrase is used in the Storie of Belshazzar where the hand-writing hath h Dan. 5 25. Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin that is Thou art numbred and weighed and thy Kingdome is divided So that by the anger of man wee cannot learne what is the anger of God except we will fasten on God the imperfections of man What then is anger in God Wee must thus conceive it As sinne is contrarie to Gods holinesse so is it proceeded against by Gods justice The dislike that Gods holinesse takes against sinne is called his hatred and the processe of his justice is called his wrath And that processe may be considered either as by Gods Ministers it is threatned and so Saint Paul calls it i Rom. 1.18 Gods revealed Wrath or as by Gods powerfull hand it is executed in which sense the Scripture remembreth us of a k Rom. 2.5 Day of Wrath. When men are said to provoke Gods wrath the meaning is that what Gods Ministers in his Name have threatned that same punishment by Gods power is inflicted upon irrepentant godlesse men And in this sense must we take the phrase in this place and learne there-out to imitate God not to be offended but with evill not to be offended before we be provoked with evill not to passe a meane when wee have a just cause to be offended with those that are evill an imitation fit for the best men seeing the defect thereof hath beene an imperfection even in the worthiest men And thus much of the second marke of sinne Now couple these two together and observe in a word the viperousnesse of sinne so naturall so unnaturall unto us It is unto us both our brood and bane like the Devil himselfe who is a Serpent and a Satan cunning to seduce us malicious to accuse us Our owne sinnes insnare us our owne sinnes separate betweene God and us our owne sinnes testifie against us our owne sinnes are a destruction unto us And therefore we have good reason to hearken to Saint Peter l 1 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you brethren as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the foule and to the sonne of Sirach saying m Eccl. 21.2 Flie from sinne as from a Serpent for if thou commest too neere it will bite thee the teeth thereof are as it were the teeth of a Lyon slaying the soules of men Our owne workes provoke Gods wrath against us And thus much of the first point which is the peoples sinne described by two marks the one it is our owne invention the other it provoketh Gods wrath I come to the second point which is Gods judgement contained in these words The Plague brake out upon them The word Plague is streitned in our English Tongue and commonly referred onely to the Pestilence but in other Languages it reacheth farther and notes any extraordinarie stroake that comes from God The Prophets under that word containe these foure Famine Pestilence wild Beasts and the Sword which by an excellencie are called the foure Plagues of God Not that God doth not create all both a Esa 45.7 Light and Darknesse Good and Evill as the Prophet speakes but because stroakes if they be private particular or ordinarie doe not move us their second causes not the first are observed by us Gods Iustice in them is not reverenced his Hand is not discerned his Power is not feared men doe not reason Hodie mihi cras tibi b Luc. 13.3 Except we repent we shall likewise perish Therefore as men have crying sins that pierce the Heavens and ascend unto the very Throne of God and call for Vengeance at the hand of God so God hath crying Iustice that pierceth the Heavens descends unto man rowzeth the guiltie Conscience and importuneth mans repentance This Voice is the Voice of Sinai so terrible that Moses himselfe will c Heb. 12.21 quake and feare such stroakes fall not but from most men they wrest the confession of Pharaohs Enchanters d Exo. 8.19 This is the finger of God In our Language wee call the Pestilence the Visitation of God and the Tokens thereof Gods marks and the inscription of our doores is Lord have mercie upon us which testifieth our confession whilest that punishing Angel stirreth we stand all at the mercy of God Some learned men are of opinion that a Pestilence wasting many of the Iewes was a part of that Plague wherewith God is said here to have stricken them but because the proofe is not pregnant we will not further pursue it Of this we are sure that that which is evident is equivalent for in one day how many wayes soever they died 24000. were destroyed But come we to the second part of this note wherein it is said This Plague brake out upon them Onely remember that the heavier Gods judgement lighteth upon us the louder he calls for repentance unto us The Plague brake out upon them The word hath many significations which hath caused many interpretations It signifies to breake out and it signifies to multiply the word bearing both wee may make good use of both If we translate it brake out then it notes first that Gods mercy is as it were a wall betwixt us and his justice a Psa 103.3 If thou Lord saith David shouldst be extreame to marke what is done amisse O Lord who can abide it But there is mercy with thee that thou maist bee feared And in another place b Psa 116.5 The Lord is mercifull and righteous and our God is full of compassion Where it is to be observed that the placing of the words imports that Gods Mercy is double to his Iustice and that his Mercy compasseth on every side and senceth us against his Iustice Yet the sonne of Sirach observeth well that there is c Eccl. 16.11 with God not onely Mercy but also Wrath he is mighty to for give and to poure out displeasure If men elevate Gods power blemish his Holinesse or deferre Repentance they shall find that as his Mercy is great so is his punishment also d Wisd 12.17 When men think thee not to be of a perfect power thou declarest thy power and reprovest the boldnesse of the wise e Psal 50.21 These
he hath given to us You see the Grace is most heavenly and our proprietie therein most comfortable but we have it not all at once we rise by many degrees therefore we are willed not onely to build but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to build upon The phrase doth containe a double sense either that we must rest our selves upon our Faith or that we must goe on in Faith The first implyes a comparison betwixt Faith and other Vertues whereon we cannot so securely build as we may on Faith for Faith correlatively understood as in this argument it is doth comprehend Christ in which sense we say we are saved by Faith that is by Christ layd hold on by Faith and so to build on Faith is to build on Christ and Christ is the Rock whereon is built the Church 1 Pet. 2.4 Matth. 16.18 as the Fathers out of Saint Peter expound that of Saint Matthew Yea Saint Paul calleth him the Foundation and the Chiefe Corner Stone Eph. 2.20 So that though Grace inherent faile us yet Christ imputed will ever support us so that the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against us And unto this the Church of Rome doth yeeld For Bellarmine teaching that we have a double Title to Heaven one by Adoption in Baptisme the other by Merit by fulfilling the Law of God resolves finally Bellar. de Iustif l. 5. c. 7. That to avoid Vaine-glory and for the uncertaintie of our Merit it is the safest course to rest our selves upon the first Title which is nothing else but to build on Faith But the words also beare a second sense and that most proper in this place which is that we must goe on in Faith for no mans Faith is perfect at the first there is duplex perfectio essentiae molis vir enim non est magis homo quam puer licet sit maior In Baptisme when we receive the Grace of Adoption our Faith hath perfectionem essentiae but not molis we are truly fideles faithfull members though but modicae fidei of weake Faith and therefore Saint Peter wills us 1 Pâ—t 2.2 as new-borne Babes to desire the sincere Milke of the Word that we may grow up thereby Our Lesson then is that we must be like Saint Paul a Phil. 3.13 Brethren I count not my selfe that I have attained but one thing I doe I forget that which is behind and endeavour my selfe unto that which is before Our Faith must dayly b 2 Thess 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till it become such as Saint Peter describes c 1 Pet. 1.7 much more precious then Gold tryed in the fire like a d Eph. 6.16 shielâ— of proofe that can quench all the fierie darts of the Devill till we are so e Iam. 2.5 rich in Faith as Saint James speaketh that we thereby can f 1 Ioh. 5.4 overcome the World and become g 2 Tim. 2.21 vessels of honour fit for the Palace of God I say that our selves may be such Vessels for Saint Iude bids us to build up our selves Mater Ecclesia c. saith Saint Austine Our Mother the Church in Baptisme doth lend us when we are infants other mens feet to come other mens mouthes to speake yea and other mens hearts to beleeve but when we are come to age we must use our owne and that not for others onely but for out selves It is true that no man can procreate himselfe or quicken himselfe being dead but being procreated and quickened he can feed and encrease himselfe As it is in Nature so in Grace no man can give himselfe a spiritual being or repaire it if it be lost but having received it he is to cherish it and to proceed therein Yea although God have appointed Pastors 1 Cor. 3.9 10. whose Title is to be Architech and Builders of his Church yet is every Christian man to be a Labourer in this Building A Labourer I say but noâ— an Architect he must take his directions from them how to worke himselfe fit to sort with the other parts of the Church I say againe to work himselfe not others for that is the charge of the Pastor and Magistrate the Pastor by spirituall means the Magistrate by corporall both prescribing to all others that are but labourers in their severall places every one to attend his owne worke in the Church Or if they will cast their eye on others it must be like the Wiseman in the Proverbs Pro. 24.30.31 32. I passed by the field of the sloathfull and by the Vineyard of the man destitute of understanding and loe it was all growne over with thornes and nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken downe Then I beheld and considered it well I looked upon it and received instruction Cant. 1.6 The Spouse in the Canticles complaines The sonnes of my Mother were angry with me they made me keeper of the vines but I kept not mine owne Vine The world is very busie and this age findes many faults and indeed there are very many to be found but few there are that see their own Wee can say Brother let mee plucke out the mote that is in thine eye when we deserve to heare Thou hypocrite plucke out first the beame that is in thine own eye Mat. 7 4 5. Rom. 2.1 Luk. 19.22 for thou that judgest another condemnest thy selfe and Ex ore tuo judicabo te serve nequam c. With God there is no respect of persons nor no exception of sinnes Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things Keepe your selves in the love of God From profiting come we to persevering for according to that of Cyprian fides non accepta sed custodita vivificat And indeed he hath profited well that will persevere For perseverance imports that we have cast our accounts and set up our rest it argues that we are resolved de fine though we have not passed so sarre as we should in medijs ducentibus ad finem And indeed the greatest cause of inconstancy is an irresolutenesse about the end which makes men passe as Salomon did Eccl. 2. he reports it himselfe in the booke of the Preacher from knowledge to pleasure from pleasure to wealth c. till at the last he found it true that the end of all is Eccl. 12.13 feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man Such a resolution of the end doth hearten us to persevere in persecution of the meanes till we have attained the end And therfore when Christ asked his Dâ—sciples upon occasion that many revolted from him Will ye also goe away Saint Peter answered Master Job 6.68 69. to whâ—m shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life And we beleeve and know that thou art Christ the Son of the living God In the love of God Note that where the three persons are
stickes not to say Regis admirabilem gloriam effecit splendidiorem he was a King admirable for his vertues but more admirable for his repentance as it was a stranger sight to see a King of Ninive come downe from his Throne clothed in sackcloth and sit in ashes then King Solomon sitting upon his Throne and speaking parables unto the Queene of Saba Behold then whom God chose to be a Patriarch to whom he gave a name like one of the great ones like that of Abraham he entered into a Covenant with Abraham and he entred into a covenant with David he sware to Abraham and he sware to David and he sware unto David as unto Abraham concerning his issue The fruit of his body Children are called fruit of their Parents body to note that they are only fathers of their flesh they have another namely God which is father of their spirits Saint Paul teacheth it and the use of it Heb. 12. Heb. 12.9 And this checkes their opinion that will have soules propagated no lesse than bodies I will not trouble you with such an unnecessary dispute Rather this I note that whereas every mans first desire is immortality because hee cannot in this world attaine it hee offereth supply thereof by his posterity This phrase then promiseth solatium immortalitatis a kind of immortality Our mortall part the Sonne of Syrach doth excellently set forth Chr. 30.4 A man that hath issue though he die yet he is as though hee were not dead for hee hath left one behind him that is like him Jn his life he saw him and had joy in him and hee was not sorry in his death neither was hee ashamed before his enemies And why he left behind him an avenger against his enemies and one that should shew favour to his friends Good cause therefore why another Psalme of degrees tels us that Children are an inheritance of the Lord and the fruit of the wombe is his reward As are the arrowes in the hand of the strong man so are the children of the youth Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them Surely for a King to have his quiver empty is no small curse God himselfe hath spoken it Ier. 22.30 O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord write this man and that man was Iechonias the King write him I say destitute of Children a man that shall not prosper in his dayes and what is that but that he shall be cursed he addes the reason for there shall be no man of his seed that shall sit upon the Throne of David or beare rule any more in Judah Esa 38.14 King Ezekiah when he was but threatned it confesseth thus he chattered like a swallow mourned like a Dove And what said Abraham O Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I goe childlesse and loe the servant of mine house shall bee mine heire Happie then was David and so every one of Davids ranke is happy that hath a fruitfull Vine and Olive branches round about his Table Of whom we may truly say Vno avulso non deficit alter Aureus et simili frondescit virga metallo But marke the King was busie to build Gods house and see how God answers him promising the building of â—â—e Kings house God requites a building with a builâ—ing There is a very apt allusion in the word upon which the sonne of Syrach also playes when he saith that â—hildren and the building of a City make a perpetuall â—â—me how much more if they be a royall off-spring that â—e destined to sit upon a Throne And God promiseth â—avid sons for this honourable end To sit upon his Throne It appeares among the buildings of Solomon and in the Chronicles of other Monarchs that the King had a seciall publike seat wherein he was placed when he possessed himselfe of his kingdome and afterwards sate as in his proper seate the Scripture cals it solium Regni as if a kingdome and the Throne were inseparable So that this phrase doth signifie insigne Regni an essentiall an incommunicable rite of a Kingdome This seate is incommunicable the Altar and the Throne saith one are â—â—th proper the Altar to God the Throne to the King The pride of usurping the Throne will as hardly be brooâ—ed by a Soveraigne on earth as the usurping of the Altar will be borne by the Lord of heaven Therefore Pharaoh though he did highly advance Ioseph added Only in the Kings Throne will I bee above thee As it is incommunicable to others so is it essentiall to a King In regard whereof Saint Peter calls Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supereminent supereminent in the Throne But wherein stands this supereminency surely in state and power In regard of the state it is called solium gloriae 1 Sam. 2.8 Pro. 20.8 and in regard of the power solum judicij These two must not be severed A King must in state ascend above all that hee may be the more respected when he doth command God himselfe that did often shew himselfe as a King did shew himselfe in that Majestie that hee alloweth unto Kings The places be knowne in Ezechiel Daniel Revelation I need not quote them But solium is therefore gloriae because judicij The state is to countenance the power it must not be only a Throne of glory but of judgment too Nazianzene hath an apt description of Kings they are persons saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are not be without a paire of scales in their hands in imitation of God of whom the Psalmist saith Thou sittest iâ— the Throne that judgest righteously And such a Throne indeed was King Davids At Ierusalem are Thrones for Judgment even the Throne of the house of David In such a Throne should the sons of David sit they were to 〈◊〉 but God would set them there It is superfluous for me to remember you that Promotion commeth neither from the East nor from the West 〈◊〉 from the North nor from the South It is God that take downe one and setteth up another Which is evident by the Prophesies of alterations in the most eminent Monarchiâ— of the world As for the Anabaptists that admit no Soveraigne title in a Christian Common-weale upon a falâ— ground that it is a fruit of Adams fall which ceased us on the Redemption by Christ it is enough to touâ— their ignorance not distinguishing between Directâ—â—â— and Coercive power The later is made necessary by sin the former is as naturall as sociablenesse is to man Tâ—â— Romanists detest Anabaptisme but they cherish a mâ—sterie of iniquity that may not be indured by this peculiar of God I will set them For in their Pontificale Remanum they insert such clauses as have within late yeere given occasion of Rebellion in this land Rebellion justified at the Barre upon this ground that the King is 〈◊〉 King till he be anointed In that booke as it is reformâ— by the
but when the commandement came sinne revived and I dyed Not that before he was alive and then gave up the ghost but he then perceived himselfe to be but dead whereas before in his imagination he was alive Psa 69 28. King David praying against the wicked Let them saith he be put out of the booke of life and let them not be written with the righteous contradictory speeches but that many thinke themselves entred whose names were never in that booke Iude 8. Wherefore Saint Jude cals wicked Christians by the name of dreamers and not unfitly for what the Prophet Esay saith of corporall food is true also â—f spirituall Too many are like to hangry men that â—reame Behold they eat but when they awake â—say 2â— 8 their soule 〈◊〉 empty or like a thirsty man that dreameth Behold he drinketh but when he awaketh behold he is faint and his â—â—ule longeth Quià est hypocritae vita saith Gregory the Great nisi visio quaedam phant asmatis quae hoc estendit in imagine quod non habet in veritate Pro. 30 12. Hypocrites are Solomons generation that are pure in their owne conceit and yet are not washed from their filthinesse All their state 〈◊〉 like a dreame as the Psalmist speaketh when one waketh yea when God waketh then he makes this their image or rather their imagination to be vile and that in their owne eyes Wisd 5.4 as the booke of Wisdome brings them in confessing with their own mouthes We fooles thought a good mans life to be madnesse and his end without honour but how is he counted among the children of God and hath his portion among the Saints But we contrary to our forther thought have erred from the way of truth the light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us and the sun of Righteousnesse never rose upon us When the Good-man of the house 〈◊〉 up and hath shut the doore many saith Christ shall begin to knocke at the doore saying Lord open to us but he shall answer I know you not Strange newes they had a better thought for they shall begin to say We have caren and drunken in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets But he shall answer I tell you I know you not whence ye are Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Then they shall begin to weepe never before they mistooke their state when they shall see Abraham Isaac and Tacob whom they tooke to be their Fathers and all the prophets whom they boasted of as of their teachers they shall see both in the kingdome of God and themselves thrust out of doores See then how a man may be deceived and flat downe when he thinketh himselfe bolt upright This the Divines call a negative fall because opposed to a seeming but not a true standing There is another fall which is privative opposed to standing indeed Pro. 30.19 20. The way of a righteous man should be like the light shining more and more untill the perfect day But many goe backe making shipwracke of their faith and forsake their first love When God offered a signe to Hezekiah assuring him of his recovery wilt thou saith he that the shadow of Ahaz dyall goe forward tenne degrees 〈◊〉 backeward His answere was It is a light thing for the shadow to passe forward ten degrees not so then but let the shadow goe backeward ten degrees In the dyall of our soule over which mooveth the Sonne of righteousnesse wee may see the cleane contrary A light matter for the shadow for our vertues are but shadowes of Christ to go backeward not so to goe forward The cause is not in the sunne but in the dyall for here Copernicus Theoricks prove very true The sunne stands still but the earth doth move God forsakes not man but man God Which the Scripture implies when it so often useth that phrase Abierunt retro they have gone backe they have declined they have forsaken mee and such like So the Galatians went so farre backe that of one that were able to runne you did runne well they became babes yea lest Little Children with whom I am in travaile againe till lesâ— Christ be formed in you He. 5.12 13. So did the Hebrewes Where as concerning time yee ought to bee Preachers yet have yeâ— need againe that wee teach you what are the first Principle of the word of God and are become such as have need of milk not of strong meat Neither may they goe backe onely knowledge and in faith but in love and workes too Write saith the Angell to the Church of Ephesus I hâ—â— something to say against thee because thou hast forsaken 〈◊〉 first love Remember from whence thou art fallen and 〈◊〉 first workes And to the Angel of Sardis I know it workes thou hast a name that thou livest but art deadâ— wake and strengthen the thinges which remaine and are ready to die No doubt then but he that stands indeed 〈◊〉 fall the whole Church fall they fall in faith they 〈◊〉 â—n love But this talking age is much troubled with two â—questions how a righteous man doth fall and how far â—he may fall whether with full consent and whether as deep as hell But my text leadeth mee to remember you not to fall rather then to dispute of the manner and measure of their faâ—l Therefore desirous to dismisse you rather religious then judicious though indeed he is most judicious that is most religious for the Scripture counts â—ll sinners fooles I forbeare to exceed the limits of my text adding to the first point onely this Nemo repente suit turpissimus God forsakes not altogether at first as appeares by Ezekiels vision chap. 9. totum that the more consent we give to sinne the greater fall wee take and the greater our fall the neerer we draw to hell The best men will yield too much and the least frowne of God goeth to a good mans heart so that our best care must be so to bridle our will that we may be ever gracious in the eyes of God And so I passe from our mutability to our Vigilaney Whereupon I need not to stand long If our mutability be apprehended well wee need not much bidding to take heed of it The difficulty is to resolve men that sinne is ill to resolve the heart not the wit many are wise enough to vouch it but their lives doe prove they never believed it for can a man unfeignedly acknowledge that to be ill wherein he takes delight as in his soweraigne good But that our mutability may make the stronger impression I will adde something of Vigilancy the second thing that I noted in the Apostles exhortation Let him that stands take heed lest he fall Though a man standing be mutable Psal 1.3 yet if he be Vigilant he may be immutable It was an heresie condemned in unchast Marcian to hold after he was excomunicated for Incontinency non voluntate sed necessitate